I was delighted to be invited to contribute to a very interesting and stimulating discussion on the subject of professionalism in piano teaching at the The Oxford Piano Group on 29th October 2014. Other contributors to this important debate were Nigel Scaife (Syllabus Director, ABRSM), Lucinda Mackworth-Young and Sharon Mark-Teggart (Evoco) who each gave presentations which explored the many facets of professionalism, including proper accreditation, good business practice, membership of professional bodies and minimum standards of qualifications for piano teachers. After the presentations, there was a round table discussion about professionalism, which touched on other important aspects, including the setting of fees.
My own presentation was based on my personal views on this subject, discussions with friends and colleagues in the profession, and the results of my recent survey Perceptions of Independent Piano Teachers. The slides which I used as a starting point for my presentation and discussion are below, and you can read the text on which I based my presentation here: OPG presentation (click to download the PDF file)
A Piano Teacher Writes... 
It is very true, that piano teacher’s who teach at home, often get students/parents, who do not really know or understand that piano teaching is a profession and not a hobby.
It’s also equally true, that a teacher who conducts herself professionally, has the power to change these perceptions. So parents of older students(who have been learning for sometime) often change their ideas and learn to regard the teacher as a professional. It’s important for every teacher to realise that the power to make a change rests with her.
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